ECER 2008 - Effects of web based educational games on students’ success

Live blog from a session at ECER 2008.

Presented by Gulten Senkul Gungormus of Baskent University, Turkey and Ahmet Mahiroglu of Gazi University.

Games are entertaining and motivating. Using learning games may help gain student's attention. Internet based games creates the possibility of supporting a community of players as well as allowing any time, any place access.

The problem however is to determine the effect of the games on learning. The researcher wanted to check success and permanency of learning measured against a group not using games. The study looked at a group of 50 1st year students. Twenty-five in test group and twenty-five in control (non-game) group.

The games developed were based on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire. It didn't look like it was multi-player.

The game playing group was significantly more successful. [I wonder if it was the enforced revison time that made the differnce rather than the game? - DM] They also compared with two tests- one harder than the other. They suggest that the games are more effective for harder tests [Again a revision effect? - DM] Also suggested something about web based materials without games were also effective. [I think... but I missed a bit here. - DM]

In answering, she says control group spent the same time doing online revision questions covering the same stuff as the games, so my revision questions can be ignored :-)